A nor’easter is a massive storm system that often centers along the East Coast in the United States. With plenty of moisture associated with this storm, the results are reports of high snowfall amounts in areas where it is cold enough to support snow, and heavy rainfall in areas with mild temperatures. In the winter, nor’easters usually deliver heavy snows to cities such as New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. The reason such Atlantic Ocean storm systems are called “nor’easters” is because their paths simply trail in northeasterly directions, along the eastern coast of the United States.
A typical nor’easter that develops in the southern United States can intensify due to plenty of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. One low pressure system can form in the Gulf of Mexico near Texas, where moisture is just starting to increase. But once the storm system begins to track into a northeasterly direction, perhaps crossing the East Coast into the Atlantic Ocean, moisture will develop in intensity. While the storm nears the Atlantic Ocean while moving north and east, precipitation becomes more numerous. As the storm system’s barometric pressure bars tighten around its core, winds will eventually increase in intensity once the pressure continues to strengthen.
Precipitation types will depend on land temperatures associated with the nor’easter. If the temperatures are cold enough to produce snow, the result can be a crippling blizzard for areas along the East Coast. Snowfall amounts can be extremely heavy – record setting as a matter of fact – and cause deteriorating road conditions and numerous airport delays and cancellations. At least a foot of snow (twelve inches) can fall on metropolitan cities like Washington, Philadelphia, and New York from the nor’easter.
In mountains and highlands of states like Maryland and Pennsylvania, those areas often receive the heaviest amounts of snow, depending on the availability of the moisture. In fact, a record-shattering nor’easter struck the Mid-Atlantic region in December 2009, which brought heavy snowfall from North Carolina into Massachusetts. For example, the Roanoke Regional Airport in Virginia recorded 17.8 inches from the storm alone. That amount proved the city just experienced the fourth biggest snowstorm at that time, since its weather records began in 1912.
Nor’easters are extremely dangerous storms. They should be taken with precaution. One ideal way to prepare for any snowstorm is by paying attention to series of weather forecasts via television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet. Certainly, people affected by snowstorms should also create plans regarding to purchasing food and other emergency items in case they get snowbounded at home. Consideration for traveling in snow should include getting vehicles in good shape and having things like ice scrapers and survival kits handy.
Source
December 18th-19th Snowstorm Summary
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/rnk/events/2009/Dec_18_19th_Snowstorm/Summary.php
